Reports have claimed that the European Union is planning to move back the date on stopping the sale of new ICE vehicles to 2040.
According to The Sunday Times, the EU could move the current legislative date from 2035 to 2040 for countries across the bloc.
The move would mean that the EU would be out of alignment with the UK by a whole decade, which currently has a 2030 date for the transition.
The newspaper goes as far as to claim that large car manufacturers have already been informed of the move, although the European Commission, which would need to put such a legislative change in place, did not comment on the reports – and did not state a date when such a decision would be made.
It follows the UK committing to the 2030 ban on new sales of ICE vehicles earlier this year, which was also a manifesto commitment at the last General Election, following the decision by the outgoing Conservative administration to push back the date to 2035 in 2023.
Previously, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had committed to a 2030 date when the concept was first announced.
But Labour did also shift the ZEV Mandate in April this year, allowing for greater flexibility on the target in the next few years – although the end date of 2030 has remained. In addition, it was announced that a new EV pay-per-mile eVED would be introduced from 2028.
The Sunday Times also claimed that the Department for Transport has told UK car manufacturers that there are no plans to change the 2030 deadline – but progress on the Mandate will be looked at in 2027.
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